Hardener and former for felt boots



( 2 Sheets-sheet 1.

J. STEWART. HARDENER AND FORMER FOR FELT BOOTS. No. 550,202.

Patented Nov. 19, 1895.

WITNESSES I INVENTOR 6 ATTORNEY TO-LQTHD. WAS HI N GTOPL DE,

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2v J. STEWART. HARDBNER AND FORMER FOR FELTBOOTS.

No. 550,202. Patented Nov. 19, 1895.

I INVENTOR ,gTTORNZ/ WITNESSES AN DREW BLRMIAM FHOTO-PTNQWASHINGTONM CNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES STEWART, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

HARDENER AND FORMER FOR FELT BOOTS.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 550,202, datedNovember 19, 1895.

Application filed December 14,1894. Serial No. 531,837. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES STEWART, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State ofMichigan, have invented a certain new and useful Hardener and Former forFelt Boots, 850., of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a certain new and improved machine for hardeningand forming felt foot-coverings, such as boots and shoes and the like,and the same is adapted particularly for the hardening and forming ofblanks for felt boots and combined knit and wool boots and shoes; andthe object is to facilitate the work of forming the blanks complete, andalso to enable the operator to prepare, form, and harden the blank atone operation, substantially as hereinafter described, which objects areaccomplished by the machine illustrated and described in thisspecification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine inposition to receive the felt upon the steamboX, which steam-box acts asa former. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail View of the supportingpan whichis placed beneath the steam-box, together with its connecting andoperative parts; and Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the machine withthe felt on the steam-box, and with the supporting-pan brought incontact with the steam-box, thereby clasping and retaining the felt inposition.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents the supporting-frame, of any suitable form, composedpreferably of metal.

0 represents the steam-box, which is preferably provided withcorrugations on its upper surface, as shown, and also with openings forallowing the steam to escape from the box through the felt'placedthereon.

D is a supporting-pan or former, which, when opened, assumes theposition shown in Fig. 1, and when closed is adapted to press againstthe lower side of the steam-box, retaining the felt upon the steam-boxin its position, the same being shown closed in Fig. 3. It also has forits object to prevent the steam from softening the felt on the lowerside and assists in hardening the body of felt.

B is the jigger, which is brought in contact with the upper surface ofthe felt on the steambox 0, and has a reciprocating motion conveyed 'toit through the pitman E and the crank F, said crank F being revolved byany suitable mechanism in order to give a reciprocating motion to thejigger. The pitman E is connected to the jigger at or near its centralportion, as shown in the drawings, and a loop G passes over the pitmanE, limiting the rocking movement of the jigger relatively to the pitmanE.

H is a weighted lever which in the example of my invention I have shownat a point above the jigger, and the same is adapted to raise the jiggerto the position shown in Fig. 1 when not in operation, said lever I-Ibeing provided with a counterweight W. This weighted lever, however,maybe placed in any suitable position to lift the jigger, and, ifdesired, a spring might be used in the place of the weight W, in orderto counterbalance the weight of the jigger.

J are standards or posts supporting the pivotal fulcrum of the lever 11.

K is a pipe which admits steam into the steam-box C. At one end of thesteam-box, and preferably at what I term the rear end, is a drain-pipeL, which serves the purpose of allowing the steam that has condensed inthe steam-box to pass off. It may be constructed so as to allow thewater in the steam-box to be removed when the steam is first admittedinto the steam-box O.

The letters M M indicate connecting-rods, which in the example of myinvention shown in the drawings serve to connect the jigger with thespring N, said spring N being constructed of a piece of metal,preferably fiat, so as to prevent too great rigidity. However, thespring N may be dispensed with and the rods M M used in connection withthe weighted lever for raising the jigger.

N is a spring which in the example of my invention shown in the drawingsis a flat spring adapted to move on a guide-rod O, and P is a leverpivoted at one end and having a free end adapted to turn down from theposition shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 3, carrying withit the spring N and drawing down by means of the connecting-rods M M thejigger B upon the felt on the steam-box,- the lever P, when the jiggeris closed, resting upon the spring N, and the free end of the lever P isheld down by means of the catch R is a standard, preferably secured tothe main frame, adapted to support the catch Q and also to support thelever-latch S, said latch S being pivoted at a point intermediate itsends to the standard R and one end pivoted to the pivoted or linkedconnection T, said link connection T being pivoted at its upper end tothe lever V, said lever V having one end pivoted to the connecting-rodZ, which rod Z is rigid with and forms apart of the main frame A.Instead of using the connection Z, any other suitable point may beselected upon the main frame to which may be pivoted said lever V.

X and Y are pivotal connections forming supports for the pan D, saidsupport X being slotted at its lower end and the connections being suchthat the pan D is raised practi-3 cally in a horizontal position, so asto fit closely 1 against the lower side of the steam-box. Thelever-latch S serves the purpose of raising and securing the pan D inposition and re taining the same against the lower side of thesteam-box.

Blanks for W001 boots and shoes are formed 011 suitably-shaped forms andare: then placed upon the steam-box and subjected to the heat andmoisture of the steam and the action of the jigger, they beingturnedover during the operation; but the boot-blank so formed is liable tocroze marks or welt-s, if the operation is continued beyond a certaintime, while if sufficient time is not given to the operation the blankwill be soft and liable to damage in the withdrawing of it from theform, thereby requiring care and experience. In making a combined knitand felt boot a knit stocking of large size is drawn overthe in allitsparticulars it is liable to separate in v the subsequent operations.

In making use of my invention and process for forming boot-blanks asheet ofwool-bat (hardened down the center by a previous operation) alittle larger in size than the under side of the steam-box, withtheedges left soft and unhardened, is placed upon the'support ing pan orshell I). This pan is raised by the levers and forced to press firmlyupon the una der side of the steam-box. One of the free sides of the batis brought up and overthe upper surface of the steam-box, andthen theother side is brought up and lapped over the edge of the bat firstturned over. The open end is contracted and lapped, thus inclosing;thesteam-box, when the jigger is brought to its working position andsteam is admitted into the box, the power applied giving a rapidreciprocating motion to the jigger, which ac tion eifectually unites andhardens the soft lapped parts, forming a seamless boot-blank. In makingthe combined knit and felt bootblank a tubular knit or Woven fabricclosed at one end is drawn upon the steam-box. partiallyhardenedwool-bat is laid over the fabric on the upper surface of the steambox,presenting one thickness of fabric and woolbat to the action of thejigger, thereby effectually uniting the fabric and the bat. The fabrieand its adhering batare turned on the steam-box,and the united andhardened portions now being on the under surface of the steam-box thetwo free sides of the bat are brought up and lappedupon the uppersurface of the steambox, and the operation is continued in the'same wayas is done in forming wool boot-blanks. It is desirable to have thefabric on the outside, and the blank for that purpose is turned insideout in a subse quent operation.

In handling and forming a shoe or slipper blank the steam-box, jigger,and supportingpan will be made shorter, while the steam-box will behigher in side elevation in order to bring the upper surface higherabove the level of the frame.

The operation of making a shoe or slipper blank is as follows: A batlarge enough to make a shoe-blank is previouslyhardened by a specialjigger, leaving the sides and top soft. It is now placed upon thesupporting-pan and brought up to its place against the underside of thesteam-box. The free sides are lapped over the top of the steam-box andthe toe-for1ning portion contracted and lapped. The soft lapped'topportion projecting beyond the raised part of the stea1n-box will not besubjected to the hardening operation. After hardening, the blanks areremoved from the steam-box, and a part of the previously lapped butunhardened top is removed by cutting or tearing. It is then again placedupon the "steam-box with the previouslyhardened toe portion underthesteam-box. The 'softparts are brought up and lappedover the tops ofthe steam-box, and thus being hardened will form a counter.

Having thus described 1nyi11vention,'wl1at I claim to have invented, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Thecombination with a steam-box adapted to receive and support thebat from which the blank is to be made, of a reciprocating jiggeradapted to operate upon one surface of such bat, an adjustable pan orshell adapted to clamp and hold the bat upon the steambox while beingoperated upon, means for holding saidpan or shellfixed and stationary inits operative position upon the bat and meansfor movingsaid pan or shelltoward and away from said steam-box, substantially as described. v

2. The eombinationwith a steam-box adapted to receive and support thebat from which the blank is tobe'made, of a reciprocating V jiggeradapted to operate upon one surface of said bat, an adjustable pan orshell adapted to clamp and hold the bat upon the steamboX while beingoperated upon, means for moving said pan or shell toward and away fromthe steam-box, and means for holding said pan fixed and stationary andlooking it in its clamping position, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the stationary steam-box C, of the movable panor shell D, rods X, Y pivotally connected to said pan or shell, apivotedlever V pivotally connected to said rods, and a reciprocating jiggeradapted to operate upon a bat supported upon the steam-box,substantially as described.

4. The combination with the stationary steam-box O, of the movable panor shell D, the pivoted lever V, pivotal connections between said pan orshell and said lever, and a lever latch S fulcrumed to a fixed support aweighted lever H pivotally connected at one end to said jigger, amovable pan or shell D for clamping the bat on the steam-box, and rods Mand lever P for drawing the jigger into operative position upon the batsubstantially as described.

In witness whereof I havehereunto set my hand and seal in the presenceof two witnesses.

JAMES STEWART.v [L. s]

WVitnesses:

EDWARD TAGGART,

CHRISTOPHER HONDELINK.

